Brett Gary's Concept of the "Propaganda Prophylactic" in his book

[Nathaniel Heidenheimer]

BRETT GARY'S CONCEPT OF THE PROPAGANDA PROPHYLACTIC IN HIS BOOK NERVOUS LIBERALS:PROPAGADA ANXIETIES FROM WWI TO THE COLD WAR

This essay is interesting about the structure of New Deal liberalism. Near the end of the short essay, she hints at the elitist nature of new deal liberalism, as one of its problems. This aspect can be more frightfully explored in the absolutely essential book Nervous Liberals by Bret Garry, which was published a few years ago by the Columbia Us History series.

In this book the author argues:

1) During 1920s some senators began to be openly critical of the govs

use of overt propaganda on the the US population during World War

and also on connections to Anglo-American alliance groups that were

used as a conduit of this propaganda by intelligence connected groups

such as the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

2) But LIBERALS who wanted to combat isolationism, were instrumetal

in getting the gov to continue funding propganda research beginning

in the 1930s. They used what Garry calls "the propaganda prophalactic" (sp? ) By this I think he means that the liberals argued

"Hitler and the fascists are using psy op research and communications

research, its seeping into the US via their agents, so we have to create some protection otherwise their fascist propaganda will infect our population"

3) around 1928 thought there was a knowckdown liberal brawl ( ok maybe a tet a tet) tween Walter Lippman and John Dewey. Dewey accused the latter of wanting only a top-down liberalism,AND SAID THIS WAS REALLY DANGEROUS FOR DEMOCRACY, AND WOULD LEAD TO ELITISM, IF NO TYPE OF COMMUNICATION COULD EVER GO FROM THE BOTTOM UP > Johhny we hardly knew ya!! I need to read more of this debate it sounds very very interesting.

4) the closer we get to WWII the Propaganda condom argument wins out big time, and then the Rockafeller foundation starts funding all these propaganda studies and COMMUNICATIONS REASEARCH projects... and these projects continue into the cold war.

5) Gary writes interstingly of the role played by poet and Library of Congress head Archbald Mcleish in calming "nervous liberals" anxieties about ESSENTIALLY ALLOWING DOMESTIC PROPAGANDA TO BECOME AN INSTITUTIONALIZED PARTY OF THE PERMANENT US STATE.

This book is essential reading for those who have been trained to scoff

"SOmeone woulda talked" every time they hear of I dunnnno the Kenneday Assassinations, MLK etc.

This book CAN BE READ AS answering "even if they do it doesn't matter" Communications researhch is on it!

Must reading so please start today! I fisrt heard it from a PHD student at NYUs school of journalism. This is not written for you or me! Thats why you should read it!

Essay: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/21/7819/

http://www.amazon.com/Nervous-Liberals-Bre...y/dp/023111365X

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